D Brothers
by Lady Isla
Summary: “Niichan, you’re so cool!” he cheered. Ace smiled, so relieved that his brother is safe. “No one hurts my otouto and gets away with it.” A collection of one-shots of the brotherly friendship between Luffy and Ace as kids.
1. Chapter 1: A New Kind of Training

**Note:** This is my first One Piece fanfic starring my favorite characters, the D. Brothers. I got inspired by a lot of brother-bonding fics here and they made me want to write my own story with Ace and Luffy bonding when they were kids. Please leave comments and tell me what you think.

**Disclaimer:** I don't owned One Piece and the characters

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**D Brothers**

** A New Kind of Training**

"Aaace! Luuuffy!" the sound of their old gruff grandfather calling their names echoed all over the house, as the said boys scrambled inside the closet and shut the door. The older boy is eight-years-old, his hair clean, and he has freckles; his younger brother has messy hair and wide eyes. Their names are Monkeys D. Ace and Luffy. (N/A: Ace is called Monkey D. Ace here, because I think "Monkey" his real surname before changing it to "Portgas".)

The moment they heard their grandfather Garp calling for them, Ace and Luffy hurried to nearest place to hide, hoping that the "evil geezer" won't find them this time.

"Boooys!" Garp called them again, his voice nearer. "You can run, but you can't hide!"

"Luffy, you're stepping on my foot!" Ace whispered angrily.

"Don't push, Ace, you baka!" Luffy snapped back.

"Who's the baka, baka?!"

"Boys!" Garp's voice is so near that Ace had to cover Luffy's mouth to stop him from yelling back at his brother's comment. They hear Garp speaking again, "Hm, guess they're not around… Oh, well. I guess I have to finish this piece of meat myself."

"LUFFY! NO!" Ace's scream came too late and Luffy threw the closet door open and he came running out in the open to where Garp is.

"YAY! MEAT!" the little boy exclaimed eagerly. When he saw no single piece of his favorite food in Gramps's hands, he became confused. "Hey, where is it? Where's the meat?"

"Right on time, Luffy!" his tall grandfather said happily. He shot his hand out and grabbed Luffy by the back of shirt. Luffy realized that his gramps had tricked him, and he started screaming and struggling to free himself from Garp's grip.

"Aaah! Put me down, Gramps!" Luffy yelled.

"Nope! After you finished my newest training today," Garp tells him as he lumbers toward the door, holding his grandson up so the boy won't try to escape.

Luffy spots Ace trying to run while Garp isn't looking. "Ace, help!"

Ace froze when Luffy accidentally pointed out his location and before he does something, Garp grabbed the back of his shirt and carried him as well.

"Thanks a lot, Lu," Ace grumbled.

"Oh, were you trying to run away?" Luffy asked him, rather dumbly.

"What do you think I was trying to do?!" his older brother's calm facial expression broke into a comical annoyance.

Garp takes them outside of their home and he carries them to a dirt path not far from where they lived. He puts them down and he stood straight up like the Marine vice-admiral he is.

"All right, boys," he began. "Today, I have set up a special training for you and this is part of your training for the Marines."

"But I don't wanna be a Marine!" Luffy complained.

Garp chose to ignore this by knocking Luffy's head, and he continues.

"Now, your training today is…" Ace and Luffy both became tense as what horrifying new torture—training—their grandfather has for them. "… Hiking."

Ace and Luffy blinked, and they looked at each other confused and then at him as if he were crazy… er, crazier than he already is. Did their gramps say _hiking_?

"That's right," Garp continued, bemused at their expressions. "You boys will have a one-mile walk from this spot to end of this path. You have one hour to do it."

"Well, that's not too bad," Ace commented.

"Ehhh?! One mile?!" Luffy repeated; his jaw-dropped.

"Oh, and I'm gonna strapped these on your backs," Garp tied two pieces of raw steaks (that he pulled out nowhere) to his grandsons' backs with some thin rope.

"Gramps, what's with the steaks?" Ace asked skeptically, while Luffy looks at Ace's meat with a hungry look.

"You'll find out," Garp smiled mischievously. "Now get going! You're wasting precious training!" Ace and Luffy quickly ran down the path.

"Luffy, don't you think this training seems a bit too easy?" Ace asked his little brother as they walked halfway through the path. The hot sun beat down heavily on their necks as they pass by a few trees and many thick bushes.

"I dunno, I think Gramps is now being easy on us," Luffy grinned.

Not too long ago, Luffy had to endure the tough training given by Garp: being tied to a balloon, thrown off a cliff, and spending a night in the woods. Ace had not been with Luffy during those incidents and the younger boy was glad his brother is here to be with him today.

"But don't you find it weird that he tied STEAKS on us?" the freckled boy pointed the dripping meat that were staining their shirts.

"Maybe he doesn't want us to get hungry," the younger boy replied naively.

After a while, Luffy hears a low growl coming from bush they had just passed which made him jumped with fright and clutched to his brother's arm.

"What's wrong, Lu?" Ace asked him, his face filled with concern.

"I heard something over there!" Luffy whimpered, pointing at the bush to their right. The leaves rustled violently. "It must be a monster!"

"Oh, it's nothing to be worried about," Ace laughed as he goes over to the bush. "It must be some stray cat or…"

He pulls back the bush's leaves and the D. brothers' eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when they came face to face with the most horrifying beast they seen so far. It was the biggest dog they have ever seen and with its dark fur and red eyes, the boys would guess that this beast came from Hell. The dog pulled its lips back, revealing its canine fangs. It gave a loud growl towards the boys, and it appeared hungry.

Ace and Luffy now realized what the steaks on their backs are for.

"AAAAAAHHHH! MONSTER!"

"RUUUUN!!"

Ace and Luffy ran the opposite direction and the big dog chased after them. The brothers went faster, trying to outrun the "monster"; Ace hurriedly tries to untie the steak on his back, hoping he will throw it the dog. Once the dog is occupied with the meat, he and Luffy can make their escape.

Unfortunately, Luffy tripped and he fell flat on his face. He turns around just in time to see the dog ready to pounce on him. He gave a terrified scream and then…

The dog was suddenly kicked in the face by Ace and the dog landed feet away from Luffy. The dog got on its feet and before it can go after the steak again, Ace did something Luffy had never seen: Ace started barking angrily like a dog at the animal. The dog gave a frightened yelp and it turned and ran away from the brothers.

Luffy's jaw dropped excitedly and he began laughing.

"Niichan, you're so cool!" he cheered.

Ace smiled, so relieved that his brother is safe. "No one hurts my otouto and gets away with it."

They continue walking down the path again, hoping to reach their destination before their time is up. They still had the steaks tied to their backs.

"That dog is so dumb trying to mess with us!" Luffy grinned. "I thought we're gonna die!"

"At least it's only one dog," Ace said.

At that moment, three more hungry big dogs appeared and they surrounded the brothers, growling and snarling at them.

"Only ONE dog?!" Luffy repeated angrily before he and his brother get attacked by the canines.

"Stupid gramps," Ace muttered mutinously as he and Luffy dragged their feet along the path once more.

The boys were covered with scratches, minor bite marks (turns out the dogs' teeth were dull), their clothes were torn, and they were very tired.

"Stupid gramps," Luffy repeated, agreeing what Ace said.

"Evil geezer..."

"Evil geezer."

"Crazy son of a bitch old fart..."

"Crazy son of a bi—OW!" Ace smacked Luffy's head before he can finish it.

"Oi! No swearing, Luffy."

Luffy sticks his tongue at him, Ace does the same thing. A small growl came from Luffy's stomach and the boy whined. "Ace, I'm hungry…"

Ace turns around and he bents down. "Come on, I'll carry you. I'll get us to the end of this path faster."

Luffy smiled widely and climbed on his brother's back. Ace carried his little brother as he continued walking.

They saw Garp standing at the end of their destination, a big grin plastered across his face.

"You only had fifteen minutes left of your time!" Garp told them. "Not bad! You even fought off the dogs too."

"You tried to kill us!" The D. brothers shouted at him in unison.

"It's all for your sake of making you stronger," he said.

"How do being tied to a steak and attacked by dogs help us become Marines?" the brothers demanded.

Garp opens his mouth, pauses for a bit, and he gives a sheepish smile. "… I made sense that time."

Ace's eyebrow twitched. _Gramps is crazy…_

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**This story would mostly be a collection of one-shots. Don't forget to review. And please don't leave any flames. And if anyone has suggestions for funny trouble these two can get into please tell me I'd love to hear them!**


	2. Chapter 2: Bedtime Conversations

Note: Here's the second chapter of Ace and Luffy bonding when they were kids. This chapter contains hints about their parents and minor references to their future selves. Please leave comments and tell me what you think.

Disclaimer: I don't owned One Piece and the characters.

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**D Brothers**

**Bedtime Conversations**

"Hey, Ace… are you asleep?"

"I was… Go back to sleep, Luffy."

"I'm not sleepy anymore. Can we play a game?"

"No."

"Aww, Ace…"

"It's the middle of the night!"

"I'm not tired…"

"I'm trying to sleep, Lu. If you want to go back to sleep… try counting sheep."

"What's a 'sheep'?"

"……"

"Niichan, are you still awake?"

"Yes…"

"… I need to pee."

"Then go."

"No way."

"And why not?"

"Because I'm afraid of the dark."

"The bathroom is just across our bedroom... There's nothing to be afraid about."

"But--"

"You wanna be Pirate King, right? So, a Pirate King should be fearless."

"Okay, but stay awake until I get back."

"Sure…"

"Don't fall asleep!"

"I won't………………zzzzZZZZ……………… OW!!"

"Ace, you rotten brother, you said you won't fall asleep!"

"Luffy, you just landed on top of me…! Get off!"

"…"

"…"

"… Hey, Ace?"

"What?"

"If I become a pirate, will you be my naka—nikkuma—how does Shanks say it?"

"Nakama?"

"Yeah, nakama!"

"Hell, no."

"GASP…You said, 'hell'! Ow!"

"What did I say about swearing?"

"But YOU swore."

"Yeah, but only because I'm a big boy. You're still a baby."

"I'm not a baby! Stop laughing!"

"Hahaha…."

"Why won't you be my nakama, niichan?"

"Because I want to be my own man when I grow up…. And I have to go after my own dreams. Nothing against you, of course."

"Oh, well… But I will surpass you, one day."

"You?! Hahaha!"

"Oi, shut up! My fist is like a pistol!"

"Oh, yeah? Then my fist is fire."

"Whooaaa, so cool!"

"As soon I leave this village and become a pirate, I'll leave behind the 'Monkey' surname. I don't want to live under Gramps' shadow anymore."

"Huh? You're getting rid of your name?!"

"Just my last name. I'm thinking of using Mom's last name as my own one day."

"Wooow… Can I use Mom's last name too?"

"Silly. Whoever heard of a pirate named Portgas D. Luffy?"

"Well, it sounds cooler than Monkey D. Ace."

"Hey!"

"…"

"…"

"Ace…?"

"… Yeah?"

"You like Shanks too, right?"

"Most of the time."

"He's so cool… Ace, would it be great if he were our dad?"

"………"

"…Niichan, you okay?"

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing…"

"It's weird, growing up without our parents. I wonder what they were like?"

"………"

"Ace, do we have a dad?"

"No."

"Oh. How about our mom?"

"… Yes."

"Where did she go?"

"………"

"Oh… I see……… How old was I?"

"Just a few weeks old."

"And you?"

"Three."

"Was Mom pretty?"

"Uh-huh."

"Is she nice?"

"Mm-hm…"

"Did you love her?"

"Mm-hm."

"Did she love us?"

"Mm-hm."

"…"

"… Luffy?"

"It's okay. Even though I don't remember her, I'm not troubled. I'm sure she went somewhere nice."

"That's good."

"…YAWN."

"Go to sleep, Luffy."

"But… I'm not… slee…py…zzzzZZZzzzz…."

"… Good night, Luffy."

**Don't forget to review. And please don't leave any flames.**


	3. Chapter 3: Hen or Rooster?

Note: Finally! The third chapter! Oh, this chapter is inspired by a really humorous Filipino story. Please leave comments and tell me what you think.

Disclaimer: I don't owned One Piece and the characters.

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**D Brothers**

**Hen or Rooster?**

Luffy had a very peculiar chicken. It was so peculiar no one could tell whether it was a rooster or a hen. Luffy claimed it was a rooster, and Ace claimed it was a hen. They almost got lynched trying to settle the argument.

The whole question began early one morning while the D brothers were coming home for lunch from morning chores through a farm field. Suddenly, they heard a rapid flapping of wings. They turned in the direction of the sound and saw two chickens fighting in the far end of the field. They could not see the birds clearly, as they were lunging at each other in a whirlwind of feathers and dust.

"Check it out! A rooster fight!" Luffy said, pointing excitedly at the fighting chickens. "I wish I had a rooster can fight like that."

"If you can catch it," Ace grinned.

"Yeaah!" Luffy then slowly approached the battling chickens. They were so busy fighting that they did not notice him as he approached. When he got near them, Luffy dived and caught one of them by the legs. It struggled and squawked. Luffy held it by both wings and it stood still. Ace ran over to where his brother was and took a good look at the chicken.

"Aw, it's a hen," he said. "Look at its head. It has no comb or wattles."

"A hen?! Didn't you see it fight?" Luffy asked, frowning.

"Sure, I saw it fight, but I still say it's a hen."

"Is there something wrong with your head, niichan? Does a hen have spurs like these? Or a tail like this?"

"I don't care about its spurs or tail. I'm telling you this is a hen."

Ace and Luffy could not agree on what determines the sex of the chicken. The chicken flapped its wings in Luffy's arms – and then crowed.

"There! Did you see that?" Luffy exclaimed triumphantly. "I suppose you're gonna tell me now that reindeers talk."

"I don't care if it crows or not," Ace said stubbornly. "That chicken is a hen."

"It's not a hen, it's a rooster!"

"It's a hen."

"It's not."

"It is."

"Not!"

"Is."

"Not!"

"Is."

"Not!"

"Oh, that's enough… I know who can settle this question." Ace said. "Shanks."

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Ace and Luffy hurried to the bar where Shanks and his crew are after arriving from a journey recently. They both took the chicken the red-haired man.

"Shanks, is this chicken a male or female?" Luffy asked.

Shanks looked at the bird curiously and then said with an amused tone: "Hmm, I don't know. I couldn't tell at one look. I never run across a biddy like this before."

"Well, is there any way you can tell?"

"Why, sure. Look at the feathers on its back. If the ends are round, it's a she. If they are pointed, it is a he."

The three of them examined its feathers closely. It had both!

"Well, I'll be a seamonkey's uncle," Shanks laughed.

"What do you think, Makino?" Ace asked the barmaid. "Is it a hen or rooster?"

Makino had been observing them while wiping a glass with a clean rag. She shrugged her shoulders. "That is a question that could concern only another chicken."

Both brothers were taken aback by this reply. But Luffy was stubborn, so he tried another approach.

"Look, we're really interested in this chicken. Is there any other way we could tell?" He asked Shanks again.

"I could kill it and examine its insides. Just kidding!" Shanks laughed again after seeing Luffy and Ace's faces.

"I don't want it killed!" Luffy said.

Ace took the plumed creature in his arms and he and Luffy left the bar. Luffy was silent for a moment. Then he suddenly snapped his fingers and said: "I know how I can prove to you that this is a rooster."

"How?" Ace asked.

"Let's put this rooster in a cockfight and see if it wins," he replied.

Ace was surprised by his little brother's brilliant suggestion. "If this hen of yours can beat a gamecock, I would believe anything," he grinned.

"Alright!" Luffy smiled.

"We'll take the chicken to cockpit to the next town. I don't think Mayor would like it if sees a cockfighting under his nose."

*-*-*

That afternoon, Luffy and Ace took the chicken to the next town to settle their argument. Luffy looked around for a suitable opponent and finally decided on a red rooster. Raising its serpent-like head, the chanticleer eyed the chicken arrogantly and jiggled its sickle feathers. This scared Ace. This rooster is ferocious.

"Don't pit your hen against the rooster," a passerby told Luffy. "That red rooster is not a local chicken. It was brought over from the South Blue."

"That doesn't mean anything to me," Luffy said "My rooster will kick its ass."

"Don't be reckless, kid. That rooster is a killer. It has killed more chickens than disease. Pick on a weaker opponent."

Luffy would not listen. The match was made and the birds were headed for the killing. Sharp steel gaffs were tied to their legs. Luffy bet eight beri on his chicken, and Ace bet two; both brothers hoped their chicken would win because they don't really have beri in their pockets.

Then the fight began. Both birds were released at the center of the arena. The South Blue bird scratched the ground as if it was digging a grave for its opponent. Moments later, the two fighters confronted each other. Ace expected their chicken to die of fright. Instead, a strange thing happened.

A lovesick expression came into the red rooster's eyes. Then it did a love dance.

"What the HELL?!" the audience cried with surprise, particularly to those who had stakes on the South Blue rooster.

It was evident that the red rooster was infatuated with the chicken and before anyone could collect his wits, Luffy and Ace's fowl rushed at the red rooster with its hackle feathers flaring. In one lunge, it buried its spur in its adversary's breast. The fight was over.

The sentencer raised the chicken in token victory but the crowd was booing.

"Fixed fight! It's a fixed fight!" they shouted.

Then a riot broke out. People tore the wooden benches apart and used them as clubs. Luffy and Ace had to leave quickly. Ace had the chicken under his arm and both brothers ran from the cockpit and they kept running until they lost the mob.

As soon they felt safe, the D brothers sat on the ground and rested. They were panting so hard.

"Now are you convinced it's a rooster?" Luffy muttered between breaths.

"Yes," Ace answered. "I'm glad the whole thing's over."

But the chicken began to quiver, and then something round and warm dropped on to Ace's hand. The chicken cackled with laughter. Ace and Luffy looked down and saw – an egg!

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**Don't forget to review. And please don't leave any flames.**


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